A CANADAIR CRJ1 WAS PARKED ON A GATE TO ALLOW A L TURN OUT; BUT POSITIONED SO AS TO REQUIRE PAX TO DEPLANE IN FRONT OF AN OPERATING ENG.

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THE ACFT'S APU WAS DEFERRED. WHEN WE MADE OUR IN-RANGE CALL TO ZZZ; THEY REQUESTED THAT WE KEEP #2 ENG RUNNING DURING DEPLANING; SO THAT THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO GO GET AN AIRSTART UNIT TO START US UP AGAIN. AFTER DEPLANING WE WERE TO TAXI THE PLANE TO THE FBO FOR OVERNIGHT PARKING. WE AGREED TO THE REQUEST. AS WE WERE TAXIING IN; I REALIZED THAT DOING A XBLEED START THERE ON THE CONGESTED RAMP; WOULD NOT BE A GOOD IDEA; AND IT WOULD BE EASIER TO TAXI CLR OF THE GATE IF WE DIDN'T HAVE TO DO A SHARP R TURN. THEREFORE I REQUESTED THAT THEY PARK US IN SUCH A WAY THAT WE COULD EXIT THE GATE WITH A L TURN. AFTER DEPLANING HAD STARTED I REALIZED THAT THE TERMINAL ENTRY DOOR THE PAX WERE TO USE WAS TO OUR R; WHICH RESULTED IN THE PAX WALKING IN FRONT OF THE OPERATING ENG ON THEIR WAY. MY FO AND I DIDN'T LIKE THAT; BUT I ELECTED TO ALLOW IT TO CONTINUE; SINCE; 1) THE CLOSEST THEY CAME TO THE ENG WAS APPROX 100 FT; 2) WE WERE READY TO SHUT IT DOWN INSTANTLY IF ANYONE STRAYED AND 3) SHUTTING IT DOWN WOULD LEAVE THOSE STILL ONBOARD IN THE DARK. LATER; I LOOKED UP THE SINGLE-ENG TURN PROC IN OUR MANUAL AND REALIZED I'D DONE IT COMPLETELY WRONG -- HAVING THE PAX WALK ON THE SIDE WITH THE OPERATING ENG IS EXPRESSLY FORBIDDEN. I SHOULD HAVE ACCEPTED THE NORMAL PARKING ALIGNMENT; WITH THE L SIDE OF THE PLANE FACING THE TERMINAL; AND REQUESTED A TOW OR AIRSTART UNIT IF WE WERE THEN UNABLE TO TAXI OUT SINGLE-ENG.